If you’ve ever worked in a professional kitchen, you’ve probably heard the phrase “in the weeds.” If not, you've likely experienced it without knowing there was a name for it, and I can guarantee that you didn't like it. That's because being in the weeds means you're hopelessly behind and on the verge of total disaster.

Author and chef Michael Ruhlman tells a story about his time working at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) when a cook was deep in the weeds. One of the instructors noticed the student’s pending disaster and decided it was a good time to offer him some guidance. He told the chef to stop working, and he wiped his station completely clean. "Because when you're in the weeds, this clutter starts to build up. And if they cut you open, that's what your brain would look like," the instructor said.

In other words, the ability to control your mind starts with controlling your environment.

The similarities between being a head chef and managing large tech projects are shocking. Both have many moving parts, with a team of either sous chefs or developers contributing to a final product. Additionally, pushing back deadlines or compromising quality both carry serious consequences. In my experience, projects with too many components (aka clutter) have a natural way of creating problems and delays. Chefs and CTOs alike need to avoid this.

Ultimately, you should use mindfulness to focus on what truly needs your attention. Your ability to direct your team’s focus will help you reach your goals faster and with less stress, all by preventing clutter from building up and slowing you down. It should also be noted that in my experience, the quality of work produced by developers working in a decluttered environment is vastly superior.

This focused approach is universal. In a somewhat fabled story, Warren Buffett’s personal airplane pilot was once discussing his career goals with the magnate. Buffett asked him to list his top 25 goals and then circle the five most important goals that appeared on his list. Buffet’s advice was that everything he didn’t circle should become his "avoid-at-all-cost" list and, no matter what, he shouldn’t try to make any progress on those 20 items until he succeeded with his top five.

I agree with the CIA instructor, Buddha and Buffett: Clarity of focus is the key. Selecting your top priorities is vital to being successful, but without clarity, you won’t be able to focus and execute those priorities effectively.

Simplifying your options helps because it's easier to do the right things when you're not surrounded by the extra things (aka clutter). Being mindful and focused will keep you and your team out of the weeds, helping you reach your goals more easily and with better results.